The problem with a “list” or “record of wrongs” is that in reality, the list is actually accusations. This is significant because when we become accusers, we become very much like someone else:

Zechariah 3:1-2 (CJB) 1 He showed me Y’hoshua the cohen hagadol standing before the angel of Adonai, with the Accuser [Hebrew: Satan] standing at his right to accuse him. 2 Adonai said to the Accuser, “May Adonai rebuke you, Accuser! Indeed, may Adonai, who has made Yerushalayim his choice, rebuke you! Isn’t this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”

Satan. Accuse. They are synonymous. When we keep a list of wrongs against another, we are not righteous. When we keep a list of wrongs against another, we are not sanctified. A record of wrongs – a list is a preferred tool of Satan. There is no love in a list. When we keep a list, when we make accusations against another, who are we emulating?

Make no mistake brothers and sisters, Satan is a deceiver. Satan is an accuser. He is VERY real.

Yeshua (Jesus) was put to a test by a Torah expert – a sh’eilah:

question. In Judaism “sh’eilah” can be a technical term meaning a question about halakhah (Jewish law) or some other aspect of the Bible or Jewish tradition. Mt 22:23+. David Stern, trans., Complete Jewish Bible, (Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications, 1998), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: “S”.

Matthew 22:33-40 (CJB)

33 When the crowds heard how he taught, they were astounded; 34 but when the P’rushim learned that he had silenced the Tz’dukim, they got together, 35 and one of them who was a Torah expert asked a sh’eilah to trap him: 36 “Rabbi, which of the mitzvot in the Torah is the most important?” 37 He told him,

“‘You are to love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.’

38 This is the greatest and most important mitzvah.39 And a second is similar to it,

‘You are to love your neighbor as yourself.’

40 All of the Torah and the Prophets are dependent on these two mitzvot.”

This is significant! The same Greek word for love that tells us LOVE can’t exist when you keeping a list is the same Greek word for love that Yeshua uses to describe the two commandments that the entire Torah and Prophets are dependent on!!!

In other words, the love you are to have for God and for you neighbor is the SAME love that keeps no track of wrongs! When you keep “lists” of someone’s wrongdoings against you, you don’t have this love. How can you love God when you keep track of another persons wrongs against you? How can you love your neighbor as yourself?!? When you take the roll of accuser, it is in contradistinction to God’s command to love because there is no love in accusation.

As I have said many times, it always comes back to the heart!

Where is your heart when you accuse? Where is your heart when you have a “list?” This is a daily repentance issue for me. It is not easy. I fall prey to it more times than I care to admit, but I admit it to you freely in hope that you will see for the trap that is truly is – what a devastation it truly is to our walks.

I leave you with the following from the book of Yochanan (John):

John 8:1-11 (CJB)

1 But Yeshua went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At daybreak, he appeared again in the Temple Court, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The Torah-teachers and the P’rushim brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery and made her stand in the center of the group. 4 Then they said to him, “Rabbi, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 Now in our Torah, Moshe commanded that such a woman be stoned to death. What do you say about it?” 6 They said this to trap him, so that they might have ground for bringing charges against him; but Yeshua bent down and began writing in the dust with his finger. 7 When they kept questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “The one of you who is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Then he bent down and wrote in the dust again. 9 On hearing this, they began to leave, one by one, the older ones first, until he was left alone, with the woman still there. 10 Standing up, Yeshua said to her, “Where are they? Has no one condemned you?”11 She said, “No one, sir.” Yeshua said, “Neither do I condemn you. Now go, and don’t sin any more.”

The law justified them in stoning her. Yeshua taught them a lesson we would all be wise to learn:

Were they sad that they were going to have to stone her? Did they have anguish? Was it tough for them? Was there mercy? Or was it blood-lust?

It always comes back to a heart issue! This is what Yeshua taught all of them that day. They were convicted or they would have stoned her anyway and been justified by the law. When we keep a list, where is our heart? Where is our love for our neighbor? Where is our anguish and our mercy?

Love can’t exist when you’re keeping a list . . .

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About Even If Ministries

Dani'el 3:17-18 (CJB)
17 Your majesty, if our God, whom we serve, is able to save us, he will save us from the blazing hot furnace and from your power.
18 But even if he doesn’t, we want you to know, your majesty, that we will neither serve your gods nor worship the gold statue which you have set up.”

6 Responses to Love can’t exist when you’re keeping a list . . .

Always good to be reminded! Just a question…..the story in John 8……she was caught in the act……what happened to the man she was with? Would he have been under the same “law”? Was he also guilty of adultery? Would he also have been stoned? I know these questions are separate from the point you were aiming at but I’ve always wondered about “the man”.

That is a point that many seem to miss . . . that might be a more important part of the point here than many see or are willing to see – Yeshua may be saying, “Why bring just the woman?”
In trying to trap him, did they trap themselves? Did they expose their own hearts?

John 8:5-6 (CJB)
5 Now in our Torah, Moshe commanded that such a woman be stoned to death. What do you say about it?”
6 They said this to trap him, so that they might have ground for bringing charges against him; but Yeshua bent down and began writing in the dust with his finger.

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